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About Us

QFAB Bioinformatics is a core facility providing support in bioinformatics, biostatistics and biodata to life sciences and health researchers across Queensland and beyond. This diversity builds QFAB’s capacity to apply new skills and approaches to a project, to implement the most effective solutions and unlock the full value of data.

Analysis platforms facilitating the use of sophisticated analysis tools

Established in 2007 in Brisbane, QFAB (Queensland Facility for Advanced Bioinformatics) is now division within QCIF whose member universities are:

Central Queensland University

Griffith University

James Cook University

Queensland University of Technology

The University of Queensland

The University of Southern Queensland

The University of the Sunshine Coast (associate member)

Beyond our mission of supporting Queensland’s leading universities, QFAB also operates nationally and is a key contributor to the EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource and the emerging Australian Bioinformatics Commons, a national bioinformatics response to the National Research Infrastructure funding announced in 2018

Services

On-demand access to data science skills

Working closely with researchers, the QFAB team applies data management, integration, analysis and visualisation techniques to unlock the full value of large-scale biological and clinical datasets. Support ranges from experimental design and analysis, data capture and mining, through to genomics, proteomics and metabolomics analyses, and data visualisation. We are experts in cross-domain integration of multiple data types, including linkage to clinical data. For long-term support to a project or research team, specialist staff can be embedded within research groups.

Training and coaching

To empower researchers in mastering their data generation and analysis, QFAB offers a wide range of courses and workshops, covering statistics, data processing and bioinformatics.

Training workshops: Use of the Genomics Virtual Lab (GVL) for bioinformatics courses and R Server for biostatistics

Data Submission to EBI and SRA: Free service funded by EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource to support researchers with their submissions to international repositories.

Web and software application development

Development of software and web applications, as well as maintaining, hosting and supporting tools developed by researchers.

Access to Platforms

Genomics Virtual Lab

QFAB is an active developer of the Genomics Virtual Lab, a national computing platform aiming to provide access to analysis tools without having to be an IT expert. In addition to the services offered by the national platforms, QFAB can provide facilitated or customised access to such platforms to meet the specific requirements of researchers.

Galaxy Australia

Galaxy is a web-based platform for data intensive biological research. Users without programming experience can specify parameters and run tools and workflows. Galaxy Australia is a service free to use for any Australian researcher.

SMRT Link

QFAB provides access to the SMRT Link on QRIScloud to any researchers from QFAB member organisations. Digital Infrastructure Facilitation of access to local, national and commercial computer and storage infrastructure. Access cloud instances (cores) and storage through QRIScloud Management of customised servers Help with resource allocation applications